Chest-protector.



No. 876,237. PATENTED JAN. 7, i908.' e. H. RIDLON.

CHEST PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR.16.1907.

"ms NORRIS PETERS cm, wnsmucnm, B7 c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. RIDLON, OF REVERE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM READ &SONS, OF

CHE SCH-PROTECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1908.

Application filed April 16 1907. Serial No. 368.543.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. Brown, a citizen of the United States,residing in Re- Vere, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts,have invented an Improvement in Chest-Protectors, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is aspecification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to improve chest protectors worn inathletic games such as base-ball. Hereto'fore the chest protectors havebeen usually of shield shape and so made that the lines of inflationextend entirely across the protector from one to its opposite edge, andall the lines of inflation have been filled with air from one edge ofthe protector through a single stem or valve, and in case the protectorshould be punctured at any point or a break occurs in any line ofinflation the protector collapses immediately; so also where a singlestem or valve is used for inflating the protector, should the valve failthe protector is rendered useless.

In accordance with my invention, I have united the inner and outer wallsof the protector between its edges and, as shown, I have united saidwalls substantially in the median line of the protector, thus dividingthe protector into two halves or sections, each of which has its ownlines of inflation, each section having its own inflating stem or valve;and in case of a puncture in one section, the other section is leftoperative, and should it happen that one half of the protector bepunctured, as for instance the left hand half covering the heart, theperson using the protector may remove the same, turn the inner side out,and bring the inflated part at the left side to cover and protect theheart, the chief source of danger to a base-ball player when struck by avery swift ball.

Figure 1 in side elevation represents a chest protector embodying myinvention; Fig. 2 is a section partially broken out in the line at, Fig.1, and Fig. 3 a partial section in the line 11;.

The chest protector is composed of an outer side or layer A and an innerside or layer B preferably of shield shape, shown in Fig. 1, said layersbeing united at their marginal edges, as usual, but in my novel chestprotector the outer and inner layers are united from the bottom to thetop of the chest proteeter along a line centrally thereof, as at C, thusforming in effect a central partition which extends from the top to thebottom edge of the protector and divides it into two halves or sectionsD and E. Each half or section is subdivided to formtransverselyeXtending air chambers in usual manner, this being done byinserting betwcenthe layers A, B sheets or partitions of india rubber asG, each sheet or partition having an opening 9 which affordscommunication between the adjacent compartments. The transversecompartments in the section 1) are designated e 7%, e and the transversesections in compartment E are dcsignated'a, I), c. The compartments inone half or section of the chest protector are entirely separate fromthose in the other half or section, this separation being effected bythe partition at O. The air compartments a b e etc. in one half areinflated by means of a suitable valve M, and those compartments (I I), cin the other half E of the chest protector are inflated by a suitablevalve ll. Since the air chambers in the two halves of the form areentirely separate and independent from the other, it will be obviousthat if for any reason any of the air chambers in one side of the chestprotector become punctured or deflated, such deflation will not affectthe air chambers on the other side of the chest protector.

Now in case of accident say to the section E, which may be supposed tocover the left side of the chest and overlying the heart so that thesection collapses, the player may remove the protector, turn the sameover, bringing the section D to cover the left side of his chest andprotect the heart.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is 1. A chest protector comprising two layers orsheets A, B, Which are united centrally I other series, and means forinflating sepa- 10 of the chest protector from the top to the botratelythe air chambers of either series. toin thereof thereby to form tWoseparate In testimony whereof, I have signed my and independent airchambers, one on each name to this specification, in the presence ofside of said partition. j two subscribing Witnesses.

2. A chest protector having tWo series of GEORGE I-I. RIDLON. airchambers, the air chambers of each series being connected, and those ofone series being entirely independent from those of the Witnesses:

GEO. W. GREGORY, ELIZABETH R. MORRISON.

